Eleven genes that are likely to prevent cancer metastasis are found

By Brianna Privett

It is said that 90% of people die of metastatic cancer, and it is known that treatment is very difficult. According to research teams such as John Lewis of the Northern Alberta Cancer Institute et al., 11 genes are involved in 99.5% or more of metastatic cancer by living cells, and by stopping the activity of these genes, cancer There is a possibility that it may be possible to prevent metastasis.

Quantitative in vivo whole genome motility screen reveals novel therapeutic targets to block cancer metastasis | Nature Communications
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-04743-2

Researchers find 11 genes responsible for the spread of cancer
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-06-genes-responsible-cancer.html

In order to visualize the proliferation of cancer cells in real time, the research team constructed a unique experimental environment using shellless bird embryos and conducted experiments on cancer metastasis. When a research team injects a short hairpin RNA (shRNA) vector having the effect of gene silencing into a cancer cell using a molecular tool, it binds to a specific gene in the cell and the activation of the cancer cell stops . And when putting this cell into an avian embryo, it became a cancer cell, but it seems that it did not become a metastatic cancer.

Mr. Constantin Streitov of the institute involved in the research said, "When I found a small cancer cell lump from an avian embryo I was convinced that all the processes of metastasis were blocked, We also confirmed what the gene is. "As a result of experiments, it was revealed that 11 genes are involved in metastasis of cancer cells.

The research team says "The gene discovered this time is involved in the process of cancer metastasis, not only with respect to a specific cancer", and the gene confirmed in the experiment is involved in metastasis of many cancers It explains that it is involved.

Mr. Lewis says, "When cancer becomes metastatic, disease progresses and worsens by keeping its seeds in different places in the body, but even in ongoing cancer, stop metastasizing If possible, it should be possible to raise the probability of survival greatly ", he says that the discovery of genes involved in metastasis of cancer may have a significant influence on future treatment.

At the time of writing, the research team says, "I am planning to use drugs to stop these metastasis to these genes and plan to move to clinical trials in a few years."